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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25241695">Found You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuskyDancing/pseuds/DuskyDancing'>DuskyDancing</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Felileth Week (Fire Emblem), Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Immortality, Loss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:14:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,354</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25241695</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuskyDancing/pseuds/DuskyDancing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Immortality has left Byleth alone for centuries with the burden of preserving the history of the war, her friends, and her husband. What would Felix think if he knew she still mourned over him? Maybe one day she’ll find out. For Felileth Week - Day 2 - Loss/Reincarnation AU</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Felix Hugo Fraldarius/My Unit | Byleth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>112</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Found You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy Felileth Week! It’s wonderful to see the community growing around this rarepair, and I’m happy to share my first story featuring these two sword masters. Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"House Fraldarius was one of the oldest families in the New Kingdom of Faerghus, with ancestors dating all the way back to the time when Seiros herself walked the earth."</p><p>Despite the busy day at the Museum of Fodlan History, Byleth recited her monologue to her students as they toured the exhibits. She'd given the lesson more times than she could count, so each phrase rolled off of her tongue with perfect articulation and little effort.</p><p>"It is said that House Fraldarius served as a shield to the royal family in each generation."</p><p>Teaching was only a part-time job, something to keep her soft skills sharp and get her out of her office in the museum. Her primary career had been as a historian for as long as she could remember. Sure, being a first-hand witness to many of Fodlan's historical events and documents helped fuel her expertise, but she had another motive as well.</p><p>To preserve the names of her friends: the Savior King Dimitri, gentle and sturdy Dedue, kind and compassionate Mercedes, sweet Annette, boisterous Sylvain, wise Ingrid, optimistic Ashe...</p><p>And most importantly, her late husband, the fiery Duke Felix Hugo Fraldarius.</p><p>"The Fraldarius Dukedom was one of the most prosperous in the Kingdom. It's territorial position made it advantageous for trade, as well as military strength."</p><p>She rounded the corner, where portraits of each Duke hung for display on the wall. This part of the lecture had never gotten any easier each semester, and Byleth did her best to not focus her attention on the display.</p><p>"Behind me, you'll find portraits of each recorded Duke of the house. One could often tell a Fraldarius from their dark indigo hair, a dominant trait of the family line."</p><p>She walked slowly down the hallway, gesturing to each portrait but fighting every urge to face them. The last time she'd indulged herself, she'd nearly burst into tears in front of her students, and she wasn't going to risk <em>that</em> again.</p><p>"Many Fraldarius names are recognized today, but none quite as renowned as Felix Hugo Fraldarius." Perfectly on time, she halted before his portrait. She could practically feel his painted gaze burning through her scarf and blazer. "Taking on his father's role as Duke after the Fodlan War, he married the Archbishop, and together they worked to rebuild the Dukedom, the church, and all of Fodlan under a sturdy banner."</p><p>One of her students piped up. "Why would the Archbishop marry the Duke? Wasn't she...y'know...kinda out of a Duke's league?"</p><p>A few chuckles peppered her audience, and she fought back her own. Luckily, she'd had centuries to perfect her poker face. If only Felix were here, she could just picture the grumble and pout that would've followed...</p><p>Another student chimed in. "Maybe it was arranged?"</p><p>"No," another replied, "if the Archbishop needed a political marriage, it would make more sense for it to be with the new King of Faerghus, right?"</p><p>Byleth allowed the discussion to continue on for a few more points before clearing her throat. "The Duke and Archbishop did marry for love, though they were very private about their affections," <em>and they will remain private</em>, "so little else is known from witness accounts other than the fact that they thoroughly enjoyed crossing blades with each other."</p><p>"How romantic…" a female student clasped her hands together and gazed up at the portrait behind Byleth. "A budding romance in the middle of a war."</p><p>Byleth ignored the voice in her head telling her to stay focussed, and turned around to meet her husband's painted amber eyes. She still remembered when he'd had his portrait done. He'd complained about the useless attire constantly and had fussed over his hair for each session.</p><p>"Unconventional, to say the least," Byleth muttered.</p><p>"Say, Professor," one student raised their hand. "Why aren't there any portraits of the Archbishop?"</p><p>Byleth folded her hands together and pulled the well-practiced excuse from her mind.</p><p>"Tragically, in the centuries since her passing, all paintings of the Archbishop have either been destroyed by radical groups or by natural disaster." She bowed her head and let the disappointed silence linger. "All that remains are documents describing her as short in height, strong in build, with light goddess-green hair and eyes."</p><p>In the brief moment before ushering her students onward, she stole one last longing glance at Felix's portrait. The most difficult part of the lecture was over.</p><p>When Byleth finally returned to her office, she breathed a sigh of relief for her feet as she collapsed into her chair. She turned her attention to the pile of student essays on her desk and began sorting through them, but it didn't take long for her mind to wander.</p><p>The emptiness in her heart hadn't been filled since her husband's passing. She'd learned to live with it...for the most part. Some days were easier than others, but Byleth hadn't felt this heavy for decades. She couldn't shake the feeling that today would be different from the others, like an unseen force was barrelling towards her.</p><p>Her students' written words blurred as something else came into focus. The bright emerald ring on her finger shined just as brightly as the day he'd given it to her, and she could still remember his words as they stumbled from his lips.</p><p>"<em>I want you to be my wife...please say yes. Let's get married and stay together until we die. I love you..."</em></p><p>Hearing that string of words from him had left her so frozen and speechless that he'd thought she'd been teasing his rare display of vulnerability. It hadn't been until his flustered face was inches from hers, one hand caging her in while the other lifted her chin that she'd managed to answer.</p><p>"<em>I love you too, and...I accept."</em></p><p>Little did she know at the time that the 'until we die' part would never come for her.</p><p>When Seteth had sat down with her to have that difficult conversation, to tell her that merging with the goddess had likely given her immortality - the same immortality that he, Rhea, and Flayn had - Byleth had denied it for a while. When the truth had finally settled, the only other people who knew of her condition were her Blue Lions, including her husband.</p><p>One by one, she'd watched each of her former students, turned soldiers in arms, turned dearest friends, die. She watched over their children, their children's children, and every generation from a distance, until they too faced their mortality. Though life expectancy had drastically increased with advancements in health and technology, every mortal still had to face their fate eventually.</p><p>She had Seteth and Flayn for company, of course, but they'd gone back into hiding for the past century to reset their identities, leaving her alone. Like the extended family they'd become, they offered for her to join them, but she couldn't abandon her post. Couldn't leave the world to forget about the Fodlan she'd helped restore. Couldn't let any history be lost.</p><p>Leading with Felix at her side had been easy. They'd always held each other up in an endless foundation of certainty. He'd always trusted her instinct, and she his.</p><p>And now, without having him for so long, she sometimes felt her own foundation beginning to crumble. She wasn't sure where Byleth the daughter of Jeralt and wife of Felix ended and where the vessel of Sothis began anymore.</p><p>Had she become no better than Dimitri during his darkest days, endlessly obsessing over the dead?</p><p>Her focus returned to the ring that glimmered for her, and she twisted it around her finger out of habit.</p><p>"Felix," her voice was already cracking, "I know you'd hate me for crying over you after so many years, but I miss you." She wiped her face. "I can look at paintings of you everyday, but I miss how you looked at me. I don't even know if I can remember your voice anymore."</p><p>She clenched her fist to shift the angle of light and managed a smile through the resurfaced grief. "It's ironic. I fight for your memory, the memories of everyone we came to love, yet I can feel my own slipping away with time. Maybe I should just-"</p><p>A knock on her office door nearly gave her a heart attack. She was usually the last one in the museum this late and often left her office door open as a result. Rapidly, she tried to give the appearance of grading papers, covering her face the whole time.</p><p>"Sorry, visiting hours for students have ended," she said in her stern professor voice. "You'll have to either send an e-mail or wait until monday."</p><p>"Funny, I don't remember being your student since quite a few years ago." The intruder's voice was wonderfully familiar, but Byleth couldn't quite place it in the midst of her frantic state. She kept her face down, pretending to rifle through papers to hide her red cheeks and wet eyes. He continued, "I'm actually here about the House Fraldarius exhibit. I'd like to make a correction - or rather an addition."</p><p>That actually made her chuckle. Oftentimes, history know-it-alls would send her emails "proving" a fact of hers was wrong, questioning her sources, or doubting her expertise. She'd always wanted to reply by throwing her hands in the air and shouting, "The source is me, you idiots!", but couldn't risk losing credibility or blowing her cover. It wasn't often that one actually showed up in her office at such an hour, however, and she wondered if she'd get the opportunity to freshen up her mercenary skills again.</p><p>When she figured her face could be presentable, she raised her head. "And what gives you the…" she froze as the same amber eyes she'd just been reminiscing on were staring back at her from her doorway. "...the right?"</p><p>She'd been so used to staring at the stiff portraits of her husband in his formal attire, that seeing a spitting image of him in a turtleneck and slacks leaning casually against her door frame threw her into a dream.</p><p>There had indeed been an invisible force speeding in her direction, and now she was stuck in that moment between realization and collision where she could do nothing but brace for impact.</p><p>Was he real?</p><p>She had to be hallucinating. Her husband had been dead for centuries. She blinked and did her best to resummon her poker face.</p><p>A smirk flickered across his lips, just like how he used to do. Byleth thanked the goddess she was sitting, or else her legs might've given out right under her. Why wouldn't this illusion fade already?</p><p>"I think the exhibit is downplaying just how crucial Archbishop Byleth Eisner-Fraldarius was in the house. Her efforts were vital in rooting out corruption throughout the government and guaranteeing the longevity of the Dukedom. Also, the display speaks fondly of her appearance yet shows no evidence to back up that claim."</p><p>Byleth sat with her mouth hanging open. This had to be a dream. She shook her head and attempted to recite her rehearsed lie. "Portraits of the Archbishop ha-have been lost to…" <em>natural disaster, terrorists, say anything. Goddess, why can't I lie to him?</em> "I'm sorry, who are you?"</p><p>He didn't answer, but chuckled, "You know, the detail in the historical records is impressive too. Usually the seemingly insignificant pieces get lost over time in translation and cultural shifts, but not with anything under your care." Byleth could practically feel the intensity of his stare. "It's almost like you were there yourself."</p><p>Byleth shook her head and avoided his piercing gaze. "Thank you for your suggestions," she said firmly. "The museum will take them into consideration. Visiting hours are over, however, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."</p><p>He chuckled, "Still playing the game, I see." He kicked himself off of the wall and took a step into her office. "You say the Duke and Archbishop were very private about their married life - which we were - so I guess that means I should give you details only they would know."</p><p>She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. If this was a dream, she prayed that she didn't have to wake anytime soon.</p><p>He sighed. "The first gift you ever got for me was a sword for my birthday. It was a rare ceremonial sword that you wouldn't tell me the seller of, and I kept it on my wall just above my bed." His eyes narrowed. "And speaking of swords, I know the one on display <em>claiming</em> to be mine is a fake."</p><p>Of all the artifacts she'd recovered and preserved over time, she was never able to give up her husband's sword. Some items were too precious to trust to anyone else. He stood silently, waiting for an answer that she couldn't summon even if she'd wanted to. He stepped closer.</p><p>"Our official wedding day was exactly one year after the war ended, but Seteth actually held a secret ceremony for us the night before your coronation. All the Lions were there, remember?"</p><p>Goddess, of course she remembered, but how-?</p><p>"Still not good enough? Alright." He turned his head to the side, and the tips of his ears turned red. "In bed, you liked to be tickled behind your knees, and I liked being...complimented."</p><p>That time, a sound escaped from Byleth. A flustered squeal as her body reminded her of the touch it couldn't forget. Each long overdue reunion, each rare spontaneous moment alone, each sparring session taken a tad too far…</p><p>Suddenly her office felt much, <em>much </em>warmer. When she glanced up again, she found the strangely convincing ghost of her husband standing closer, staring down at her over her desk.</p><p>"I know it's you, Byleth, because you still wear that ring I proposed to you with," he nodded to the bright green gem still resting atop her ring finger. "Even though I insisted on replacing it hundreds of times with something better."</p><p>She muttered her response before she could stop herself. "It's perf-"</p><p>"Perfect the way it is, I know," he finished for her. "Enough of the act. I didn't wake up with these memories for no reason. It took all of my strength to not blow your cover today when I saw you. And if standing five feet from my wife after all these years and <em>still</em> not being able to kiss her is <em>killing me</em>, I can't imagine what you're feeling, By."</p><p>Something about the use of his nickname for her snapped Byleth out of her paralysis. She stood from her chair and rounded to the front of her desk in one swift motion. He was just within arms reach, yet when she held her hand out, she couldn't bring herself to touch him.</p><p>Now she didn't even care that she was crying. "Felix…?" she muttered with her shaking hand hovering right beside his face.</p><p>That was all the answer he needed, apparently, for he brought her hand to his cheek with his own and pulled her close.</p><p>"I found you," he muttered before kissing her.</p><p>A sigh escaped from them both. None of her dreams had ever felt this real, or even come close to setting off the inferno that currently blazed within her chest. His lips muffled each of her sobs as she tangled her fingers in his hair. Despite his straightforwardness, he was delicate with how he kissed and held her. It was like their first kiss all over again, and after so many centuries of separation, it might as well have been.</p><p>She parted her lips and experienced the familiar taste of four-spice-blend tea on him. Salty tears joined with the zest, and she couldn't care whose they were. Neither could he, apparently, as he pulled her even closer still.</p><p>This tender, affectionate side to her husband was known to few. History knew him as a swordsman, a Fraldarius crest-bearer, a Duke, a shield, and a good leader. But she knew him as Felix, and had gone without him for far too long.</p><p>She missed him. She missed him so painfully much. And now here he was, waltzing into her office and kissing her.</p><p>When her back hit her desk and his hands wandered from her waist, it hit her all at once and became too much to bear. Unable to breathe, she pulled back and buried her face in his shoulder. Her hands came forward to his chest as she came undone.</p><p>"So long," she cried, "I've been alone for so long."</p><p>At first, he said nothing as his arms encased her, and she feared that he would be disappointed that she held onto her grief over him for so long. Or worse, that he'd inwardly blame himself.</p><p>Their secret vulnerability went both ways. Whereas Byleth was the mercenary, the Ashen Demon, the war tactician, and the Archbishop to the world, she found stable ground in the company of her swordsman. Enough so that she could drop her walls and unveil her full, unbeating heart. Whether she'd expressed them in words, in touch, or in the swing of her sword, he'd accepted her all the same.</p><p>Instead of teasing or anger, however, he simply muttered, "I'm sorry." She hoped a simple shake of her head communicated that he had nothing to apologize for. "I'll make it up to you."</p><p>She lifted her head from his shoulder. His gaze held hers, filled with a fierce determination she'd only seen during the war they'd won together.</p><p>"Don't be sorry," she traced his jawline. "You're here now."</p><p>"Then let me join you." She was about to tell him he was already with her again, until he added, "Not just in this life, but for each one to come after."</p><p>Her hand froze against his cheek, and she regarded him again. "You mean…"</p><p>His hand on her waist pulled her closer while his other took hers and gripped it tight. "Make me immortal with you."</p><p>Byleth blinked once, twice, so many times she lost count as she took in his words. Normally if someone asked for immortality, it was to attain otherworldly power beyond comprehension, yet behind Felix's gaze she saw no hint of such a motive. He regarded her, unblinking, and the thought of waking up to those amber eyes for eternity blossomed a familiar warmth within her chest.</p><p>Was that even possible? She could ask Seteth; surely he would know something. But more importantly…</p><p>"Felix, are you sure?" she asked. "It's...not an easy burden."</p><p>"It's one you've been dealing with alone for how long now?" he asked. "Something tells me it'll be easier together."</p><p>He was right. If she had to face the road into eternity, being able to glance at her side and find his reassuring gaze would make her circumstance less like a curse and more like a blessing.</p><p>"I don't know if it's possible, but..."</p><p>"Since when did the Ashen Demon ever let what's possible stop her?"</p><p>She wanted to tell him that she never could achieve the impossible on her own. That it had always been Sothis and her divine powers that had bent time and reality. And after Sothis' voice disappeared, it had been Felix's loyalty that had bolstered her confidence to win the war and lead Fodlan into peace. Instead, she captured his lips again and hoped he'd get the message.</p><p>He met her eagerly again. Why search endlessly for the right words when a hand in the hair, a finger across an old scar, and a grasp of the hips said everything and more?</p><p>"So," he breathed heavily when they came up for air, "what happens now?"</p><p>It didn't take long for an idea to form in her head, an itch she'd wanted to scratch for centuries. "You were right, your sword on display <em>is</em> a replica," she smiled, "because I still have the real one. You still good with a blade, Fraldarius?"</p><p>The mischievous grin she received from him made her swell with pride. "That's my wife."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Felix and Byleth: *Proceed to get the cops called on them for fencing in public*</p></blockquote></div></div>
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